Weekend Open Thread

576 Comments

1. Thanks to everybody who recommended eye makeup removers the other day for mamabear. Based on the recommendations of many, I bought the Neutrogena liquid today, just tried it, and it’s sooo much less irritating to my eyes. I had switched to the Almay liquid after they discontinued the lotion (which I preferred and didn’t irritate my eyes). Now to figure out what to do with the bottle and a half of Almay I have left.

   In that same vein, does anybody know of an eye cream that won’t irritate sensitive eyes?

   1. I love this natural skin care company, Zia. I use their daily moisture moisturizer with SPF, and their Ultimate Eye Creme, which is for morning and night. I have *very* sensitive skin, and this just soothes my skin. Zia stuff is a little more pricey than drugstore brands, but not as much as high-end products. It’s usually available at Whole Foods or other natural food stores, and it’s at drugstore.com.

   2. I use Earth Science eye makeup remover and creamy face wash and like them a lot. don’t know of a cream

      1. I use Lush Ultrabland as an all-purpose makeup remover and cleanser. It’s basically a cold cream — removes mascara without harsh rubbing, and leaves my skin feeling supple rather than dried out. I don’t use an eye cream at all, but Lush does have one that might work for sensitive eyes.

   3. Hi NOLA – I bought that Neutrogena liquid too, and it is definitely not irritating!

      It has been easier for me to find an eye cream that is not irritating. I think I posted that I bought the very expensive (for me) La Prairie Cellular eye cream and it feels great. However, it’s not super great under makeup so I’m still searching for a day version.

      I think there was a post on eye creams here two days ago -? Maybe google for it.

      I’m subscribing so I can see what other suggestions you get.

      1. Yeah after two days of the Neutrogena, I think I’m going to throw away the Almay I had already. It’s just not worth it to irritate my eyes or the skin around them. The problem I have with eye cream isn’t my skin (although it’s really sensitive) – it’s that my eyes are so sensitive that they water if I get creams near them. I think I need to try something without makeup. I’m just really bad about remembering to put cream on at night. Next time I go to Whole Foods I’ll look at the Zia suggested above. Ah the joys of getting older!

         1. Yes, I threw away my Clinique Naturally Gentle (sic) eye makeup remover immediately, with no regrets.

            I’m going to check out the Zia, too.

      2. I checked out the eye creams post from October (didn’t see one from a few days ago) and it ended up being mostly about concealer and nothing about sensitive eyes. I’m happy with my concealer (MAC moisturecover). I used Olay Regenerist this morning and now my eyes are itchy and red. Ugh. I need to throw that out, too.

2. Hello corporettes – please recommend a comfortable brand for thong underwear. I have tried Victoria’s Secret and Hanky Panky and I am about to give up on thongs, even though I hate visible pantylines. Please help!

   1. Calvin Klein.

   2. Are you buying the thongs or g-strings? Sorry if this is TMI, but g-strings are more comfortable than regular thongs because there is less material to annoy you. I live in VS g-strings. They can also take some getting used to at first.

      1. Serious question …

         For you ladies who prefer thongs and g strings over other types of underwear, what is the appeal to wearing undies at all? I’ve tried a variety of thongs and just can’t get with it; they served no purpose as a barrier between me and my clothing. On days when VPL may be an issue (usually with pencil skirts), I just go without. I do wear slips.

         1. Mine provide enough of a barrier plus I would be paranoid about not wearing anything with a skirt. They are comfortable because there is less material and no bunching up. Plus, they are a bit sexy.

   3. What’s this idea that only thongs can prevent vpl?? It’s only a matter of paying attention to having undies that fit properly (ie large enough that your butt fits in them comfortably without compression) and not having too bulky elastic. It also helps if the elastic isn’t cutting right across your butt, ie boy shorts.

   4. Gilligan O’Malley from Target is super comfy. There’s no elastic waistband and the material is thin and soft so no vpl. $5 a piece, sometimes 5 for $20.

3. I would LIKE to know why my coments stay in moderation so long? By the time Kat posts them, the wave of coments moves alot more down, and corporetes dont even see what I am writeing about b/c we read the lateest posts? FOOEY on that! FOOEY!

   1. Ellen, I feel you. But you have SUCH a followeing here, I really think you should Re-start your OWN blog. Please do this and come back to Post a HYPERLYNK so we can all subscribe.

      PS–went back and found your update about the SALARY negoetiation. Bumer!

      1. I don’t think I could even handle a daily Ellen blog, but +500 LL points for the idea!

4. Just chopped off all my hair yesterday (about 6 inches and a dog’s worth of volume)! I have a side swept pixie now. I did it today myself and I think it looks just about as good as it did yesterday. NOT BAD if I say so myself. It’s interesting because after playing with it yesterday, I am actually seeing MORE versatility in this pixie/almost ear length bob than I ever had with my long hair (which seriously looked bad even in a ponytail). I can wear it boyishly side swept, define it a bit more with a headband, comb the length forward into a sort of flapper style bob, pin it up in a poofy type way to make a faux french twist, push it all back with a headband and go crazy fluffy/spikey in the back… the possibilities seem endless.

   I think I actually look younger in a good way… less stodgy. I’m preemptively excited for the change.

   1. Yay for short hair! I’m glad you are happy with the change.

   2. …you sound so excited by it that I kinda want pictures so I can get my hair done like that! (Even though I know better, and know my hair would look awful in something like that)

      1. I definitely think it takes a certain hair type to pull it off. I was worried my hair wouldn’t be able to take a short cut, but after researching different pomades and stalking what seemed like about a million pictures/style blogs, I realized I’d probably be fine and luckily it seems I am. It’s just a nice feeling to have something different with a bit of versatility, when for 6 years I seriously probably wore the same drabish style (long, face framing layers, flat ironed straight).

   3. I’m thinking about chopping my hair off this weekend and your haircut sounds fantastic – any chance you can post a link to a similar haircut?

      1. Do it! Cutting my hair was liberating in a good way. I feel I partly did it for me, just to prove I could do it, and I felt great. I have had super long hair all my life (went from waist length about 6 years ago and then have had about mid-chest length hair since), so it was a nice feeling to know I could do something different.

         My main hair inspiration was Ginnifer Goodwin’s longer stages of pixie. Here are a couple pictures that are sort of the look I was wearing today:

         http://img2.timeinc.net/instyle/images/2007/galleries/010307_cuthbert_300x400.jpg

         http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Cvxlis9CUjc/S4uz8bKwJdI/AAAAAAAAAYk/NoKsiD2DZ7g/s320/carey-mulligan-short.jpg

         Really the look seems to be all about which way you comb the hair and how you seal the style with pomade. Literally I feel I could go from a boyish side swept look like in the second picture here to a sleek flapper bob just by the way I brush it/lay the hair down.

         I also timed my hair styling from “wet out out of the towel” to “done” and it took 11 minutes. I could barely even wash my hair in 11 minutes before.

         1. You cut your hair like this *yourself*?

            I’m so impressed!!!

      2. I’d also love to see a pic of a similar cut, and what is your hair texture/thickness? I agree, short hair is soo liberating!

         1. I have very thick (in that there is tons of it), but fine hair that is sort of too wavy to be straight but not wavy enough to be curly when left to its own devices. It holds curl or straight very well, but basically I need to style it SOMEHOW to get it to stay put. So far I have had this new short cut stay put with some styling cream, a blow dry, pomade, and a spritz of hairspray. I am really liking how the pomade works in my hair because I feel it really keeps the hair’s shape and texture well, which is something I could never get to stay right with long hair (that couldn’t be slathered all with pomade).

   4. Yay! I love my pixie too!

      1. Gotta admit, I sorta like that my hair is so short that I am now different than most ladies walking down the street. :) Having short hair seems fun (well, it has for all of the two days I’ve had it).

5. Random question…how do you ladies decide when to retire a pair of underwear? How long do you tend to own each pair before replacing? I wear mostly thongs, and have had my current set under a year and yet feel like maybe it’s time to replace them–but I don’t want to be wasteful. Wondering if there is a norm here? Should I be doing something differently to make them last longer? I swear I am a real person and this is a real question!

   1. I feel like there was a course that girls took in the 1950s that answered these and other random questions but that isn’t offered anymore. So I will be interested in reading the responses.

      Here is what I do: I buy a “set” of underthings all at one time that consists of plain panties and matching plain bras. I typically buy 3-4 bras and 6-8 panties in nude and the same in black. I buy plain (no lace) because they last longer that way in the machine and because then I can wear them under everything without worrying if the lace is making my shirt bumpy etc. I buy all the same because then everything goes with everything else. I last did this two years ago (I know because it just came up on my calendar). All of the above still fit properly and aren’t stained or torn or holey. So I figured I’m good for now.

   2. Until they fall apart… I’m single and no one sees my undies (unfortunately). This usually means about a year.

   3. I think it depends on how many pairs of underwear you have. If you have more than four or five dozen pair, they can last quite a while. Even though I have a lot, I tend to gravitate to the same twenty pairs or so, so they get heavier use and washing. Even so, most are holding up well because of the fabric (many are microfiber, and many have lace embellishments but are not completely lacy, so they last longer).

      In addition to normal wear and tear, if I cruise through my lingerie drawer and see some that I haven’t worn in recent memory and have no desire to put on in the immediate future, I toss them. And I typically get a handful more every time I buy a new bra. (Which doesn’t happen nearly enough and which should probably be the subject of its own post.)

      1. +1

         I have 8 weeks worth of underwear (thanks to a particularly rough trial where I took to just buying more instead of washing because it was faster and easier). Some of mine are really old but in great shape. Others last less than a year. When they look worse for the wear or develop holes or whatever, I pitch ’em.

   4. I literally let them fall apart before I actually toss them, but I mentally move them into separate catagories once they start to look rough, they only get worn on days that I don’t really anticipate my hubby will see them. I’m sure that I have several that I’ve had for 5+ years. The majority of my everyday ones are Victoria’s Secret’s basic cotton (the kind that you get 5/$25 deals on), and I wash them aroundonce every 3 weeks, I guess, on delicate and using Woolite.

6. Where is a good place to buy fleece-lined (or otherwise warmer) tights? Thanks for any suggestions!

   1. I’ve gotten nice ones at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Filene’s Basement. They’re usually cheaper there too. I also love Smartwool Tights, but they’re a bit rich for my student blood at around 45$/pair. They are amazingly warm though!

   2. Target had them last year. I’m waiting for them to come back. I also just picked up a pair of Plush-brand fleece-lined tights at Nordstrom Rack this weekend. I think Plush is the most well-known brand, but I am on the larger end of the Medium-Large and felt that the Target ones fit better.

      Here’s a link online – but the ones I got at the Rack were $7.

      http://tinyurl.com/6q2rcrs

   3. This native Californian is scratching her head at fleece lined tights.

      Don’t they make your legs look like tree trunks? (sincere question)

      I guess if it’s cold enough that you need fleece lined tights you may not care. :)

      1. Ha ha! I had the same thought. Never heard of such a thing even though I grew up in the great white north. I’ve been living in the south for way too long to even think of something like fleece-lined tights…

      2. To me, they look the same as leggings once on. They are more opaque than regular tights for sure, but they don’t add much width.

   4. I bought some at Anthro last year. I think they were $25 and they are soooooo soft. The color selection was a bit limited though–black, brown, and grey I think.

   5. If you happen to be in DC, Filene’s on Connecticut currently has a big selection of fleece lined tights.

      1. Thanks everyone! I want to give them a try this winter!

   6. I just saw a pair at TJMaxx, when I was buying regular tights yesterday.

   7. <3 fleece tights, plan to live in them this winter. DSW often has them as well.

7. PSA to whoever asked about blouses with sleeves that are not tees: Talbot’s and LOFT both have a great selection right now, and both are currently having Friends and Family sales. Use code FRIENDS at Loft and THIRTY at Talbot’s.

8. I’m creating a depo outline for the first time. Praying someone can respond this evening…Huge thanks!

   In a deposition, can you lay a foundation and authenticate an email when deposing an employee of a company who neither wrote or received the email? Or alternatively, can a witness authenticate an email that he/she was copied on?

   Would be extremely grateful for a response today (Sunday). THANKS!

   1. If copied on an email, a witness can certainly authenticate it, although they may not be able to swear that the person to whom it was originally was sent actually received it.

      Q. Do you recognize this document(i.e. email)?

      A. Yes, it is a copy of an email I received.

      Q. Is that a true and correct copy of an email which you were cced on, from Mr. X and directed to Ms. Y?

      A. Yes.

      Establish that Witness received it on the date mentioned, that the email address from sender belongs to Mr. X and the email of Ms. Y is correct.

      If Witnss conveniently does not remember the email, establish all above AND that her address is correct, and that this appears to have been printed from her office server.

      1. THANKS! I really appreciate it. :) So if the employee did not receive/write/or was not copied on the email, I assume that he/she cannot authenticate the email?

   2. it makes me nervous that you are asking this question on an anonymous online forum…

   3. Don’t feel bad about asking a question here. Sometimes you just need someone to point you in the right direction. A witness can testify to a document if it is part of that witness’ file or something the witness otherwise relied upon even if they are not the person who wrote it and their name isn’t listed on it. They just have to admit that they saw it, used it, filed it, etc.

      Remember the business records exception. An email can be a business record kept in the regular course of business. If the witness is the keeper of the records for an organization she can testify that the email was a business record of that organization. Big businesses rely on records keepers all the time. She can’t testify to the truth of the content of the email, just that the email existed in x location.

9. LinkedIn question, which I think we’ve somewhat covered before, but I think this is slightly different than what has been discussed:

   I was asked to write a recommendation for a former co-worker. This would be my first recommendation, and frankly, I’m just not sure I want to go down that path. Former co-worker was great on a personal level, but also had an anxiety disorder which really impeded his ability to make decisions and move forward with them. Would you go ahead and write something, focusing on personal characteristics only, or just say (politely) that you don’t do endorsements? I’m on the fence because I like the guy, but think his skill set would only work in certain, lower-pressure situations.

   Thoughts?

   1. Are you a lawyer? Many states’ rules of professional responsibility forbid testimonials or endorsements. Also, many companies have policies on them.

   2. When I was asked, I declined on the grounds that LinkedIn is a professional website and it could be interpreted as an endorsement by my company, which has a policy against such recommendations/endorsements. Asker accused me of trying to sabotage her career. That reinforced my decision. . . .

   3. If you ever have second thoughts or doubts about recommending someone, don’t recommend him. You should only give a recommendation if you can do it wholeheartedly. I would politely decline.

10. What’s the GPA cutoff for NYC biglaw? Is a 3.2 from a T10 good enough?

    1. Depends on the firm. For the most prestigious firms (Cravath, Wachtell, Sullivan), probably not. For the rest, you’re probably just on the border and will depend on how deep the firm wants to recruit this year.

11. Just wanted to let everyone know that Chuck Bass appears in the new movie J. Edgar. I know a few ladies on here love him so I thought I would share. :)

    Also, the movie is pretty great. The guy from the social network that played the twins is in it as well and he is pretty amazing.

12. OOOOOlalalalala……….I really like their jewelery especially the Soladite Torsade Beaded Bracelet

13. OooooLalala…..I really love their jewelry line especially the Soladite Torsade Beaded Bracelet

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